Best way to control my eating habits (tips and tricks)

Thomasleavy7

Hey , Im looking for tips and tricks on how to get my mind off of eating while im at work .. i work 64 hours a week in an office ... 3 of those days are 12 hr over night shifts .. i just started MFP and want to get some advice on what to do ... i take a weight loss / appetite suppressant only on days that i go to the gym ( as directed on bottle ) .. but that only does so much .. then my brain kicks in saying im hungry even when im not ,.. PLEASE HELP

professormudd1

2 tips for you that worked for me:

1. Drink water - Sometimes a big glass of water makes the food craving (not real hunger) go away.
2. Learn to say no to yourself - It gets easier after a couple of weeks. They say it takes 3 weeks to break a habit and 3 weeks to start a new habit. So self discipline gets easier over time.

michelleroslyn

A few tricks that work for me- get up and take a quick walk to get your mind off of food. Eat a piece of fruit (I find bananas to be the most filling). Drink some water (sometimes we think we are hungry but we are really thirsty). I find flavored fizzy waters are more filling than just regular water. Chew a piece of gum, or keep some stronger mints at your desk (like lifesaver peppermint) which will give your mouth something to do, and leave a bit of a taste behind that wont go well with food good luck! you can do this!

Lizzy622

lots of water and herbal teas help to fill the belly without calories. You were probably bored eating also due to overnights. Try setting a timer to stand up and do a couple of exercises or just stretch every hour. It will have you concentrating on something other than food.

seltzermint555

One thing that helps me (can't speak for others) is to be very "strict" with when I eat. Not crazy-strict or anything. But I have a set schedule.

Breakfast 7 AM
Lunch 11:30 AM
Dinner 6 PM

Instead of snacking at work during the 3 pm slump, I make sure to tack on something like fruit or chocolate with my lunch so that I feel I've "already had my snack".

Instead of snacking in the evening, I use my calories up at dinner. If there IS some indulgence that I have worked into my calories for the day, I have it within 1 hour of dinner rather than waiting 'til much later. I don't put a ton of stock in what some say about evening calories and stopping eating by 8 pm or whatever...but this is just MY routine!! I am more satisfied this way and in essence yes, my "kitchen is closed" following dinner as I've eaten my total calories. The only time I may have a small protein snack like nuts or string cheese is if I get some considerable post-dinner exercise.

This works very well for me and I'm not even "tempted" to eat at any other time. It may not work for others!

I know a lot of people have success with eating 5-10 mini meals instead. Not me, but I think if that works for you then go for it. I just think sometimes "grazing" for many hours especially when you're at work, can be a recipe for failure.

Best of luck!

Thomasleavy7

yeah .. i drink alot of water especially on the over nights close to 6-7 bottles each night .. just very sedentary.. i try to get to the gym at least 4 times a week ..

kels1152

I'm loving all these tips and tricks. I also seem to eat even when I'm not hungry and it sucks! I will try to switch to water or go do something else to get my mind off of food : )